Is Lucky Break A Decent Beer or Just Another NEIPA

Lucky Break NEIPA is yet another beer from Brewdog that is probably here today and gone tomorrow. So is it different from all the other New England IPA’s that are so common now?

Lucky Break NEIPA is a typical modern beer of this style, hoppy with tropical fruit. It pours a hazy light pineapple like colour. On the nose it bombards with tropical fruits of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. The taste is the same with a hoppy hit of sweet tropical citrus fruits that turn a little bitter on the end. It’s a light smooth fruity little NEIPA, but it is smothered by the crowd. It gets a 4.3 out of 5.0.

If you like a tropical fruity beer, then it will deliver, but not any more than any other tropical fruity beer.

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Lucky Break NEIPA Beer Review

The can is vibrant and does stand out with its green, yellow and pink colours. On the front it features a Chinese lucky waving cat, as well as some Chinese writing. It might have something to do with Brewdogs expansion into the Chinese beer scene.

That aside, what is the beer like? It is a New England IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Talus hops, so plenty of tropical fruits like peach, apricot, lemon, pineapple, melon, mango and grapefruit.

So it is going to be hoppy and fruity, but at 6.7% ABV should have a nice kick to it too. Lets crack it open and find out.

Drinking Lucky Break NEIPA

It pours a light hazy straw colour with a one finger loose head, which fades to barely a cover. It looks just like a fruit juice in the glass.

On the nose it screams tropical citrus fruits of pineapple, mango and grapefruit, its just fruity.

The smell sets you up for the taste because that is exactly what you get. Hoppy up front with plenty of tropical citrus fruits dancing on the tongue. It has a low to medium carbonation with a smooth soft mouthfeel.

All that sweet fruit is interrupted by a welcomed bitterness, although it is subtle, it does leave a nice lingering taste in the mouth.

Lou points out that it doesn’t feel like a 6.7% ABV beer, and she is right, it is easy to knock it back quickly.

For me Lucky Break is just another NEIPA being produced by many breweries, it doesn’t stand out in any way. I haven’t had Hazy Jane for a long time, but for me it is far better than Lucky Break.

Lucky Break is what has become a standard New England IPA, a light, smooth, fruity little beer that is easy to drink. I like it, but there is nothing different, it gets a 4.3 out of 5.0.

M’Lady likes it too, saying “A nice little beer good for a sunny day in a beer garden, fruity, tropical and balanced. It’s not the best beer, bit I’d have it again. Lou scores it 4.2 out of 5.0.

So Lucky Break is a light, smooth, fruity little beer, give it a go while it is around. However, Hazy Jane NEIPA is a far better beer in my opinion.

Brewdog

Brewdog started as a small little microbrewery by two young men Martin Dickie and James Watts. Brewing small batches of beer, bottling it themselves and selling it at local markets.

That was back in 2007, and it was all about the small independent brewery taking on the big boys. Those mass producing breweries that are maybe more interested in the bottom line than the beer.

17 years on and Brewdog are by no means a small outfit, with several breweries around the world and over a 100 bars worldwide. And now an expansion plan in China involving Budweiser.

Can Brewdog claim to be a craft brewery anymore? Or are they now what they despised in the beginning and just another brewery mass producing beer?

Brewdog have grown beyond belief, and possibly a victim of their own success. I might be wrong, but I don’t think they can be classed as a craft brewery anymore.

One thing they have been from the beginning and kept it up is controversial. You either love Brewdog or you hate them, I actually quite like them and some of the beer.

Their classics like Punk IPA and Hazy Jane are good go to beers. Their fairly new Shore Leave amber ale is a nice standard ale with a little citrus kick, it’s a good beer.

However some of their beers like the one today Lucky Break come and go, they are a little like copies. Is there a need for them? I’m not sure, but I will keep trying them.

Brewdog Beer Range

If their is one thing that Brewdog have done it’s brewed a lot of beers. There always seems to be a new one released.

However there is a core range of their best selling beers. These are Punk IPA, Elvis Juice, Hazy Jane and Lost Lager, which are all good beers. Shore Leave seems to be sticking around, which is good because it is a good amber ale.

They also do a few alcohol free beers like Punk AF and Nanny State which are both pretty good for AF beers. Those aside you will always find plenty of other beers on offer at Brewdog.

Hoppy Easter

They’ve brewed a beer just for the Easter season which is upon us. Hang on, know they haven’t, this is Punk IPA with different clothing.

If you see this on the shelf you will just see Hoppy Easter and might think a special Easter beer. Take a closer look and it says Punk IPA along the side.

So Hoppy Easter is Punk IPA with a special Easter jumper on.

Post Punk

Another beer new in at Brewdog, Post Punk mentions Punk IPA walking sandy shores wearing an aloha shirt. Is this another version of Punk IPA with yet a different outfit on?

Well I think it is close, but there are less hops in it and there are bursts of Passionfruit, orange and Guava. It might not be Punk, but it sounds like a more tropical version of it.

It weighs in at 5.5% ABV, just like Punk.

Grind

Grind is a coffee stout, so this one is not Punk is another outfit. Described as Espresso, chocolate and roasty, it combines six malts to develop a rich flavour profile.

Obviously it is going to be big on coffee flavour, but dark bitter chocolate too, with a bit of sweet chocolate sauce to balance things out.

At 6.0% ABV it is not a session stout, but that could be a good thing because it sounds extremely rich. One is probably enough, sip it and savour it.

Final Thoughts

So Brewdog are anything but quite, they produce some lairy beers, but not all are on a par with their core range.

Although I quite like Lucky Break NEIPA, it doesn’t stand out, it’s not original. When Punk IPA came out it felt like something new, a bit like Punk itself back in the 70’s.

But beers like Lucky Break are just a bit samey and repetitive. But I guess that is what we are going to get with so many beers of this style being brewed across the land.

It doesn’t mean I don’t like them, and Brewdog are not the only brewery knocking out similar beers on a regular basis.

Anyway if you like a light, smooth, fruity little NEIPA, then give Lucky Break a go. If you have already tried it, then do share your thoughts below, let me know what you think.